Friday, January 30, 2009

Where ever I go they capture my attention. Members of the kingdom aves.

There are about 10,000 bird species in the world and 1,000 species make Mexico home for at least part of their lives. That compares without 500 different kinds of birds that visit British Columbia.

The photos below are all herons and egrets, but on this little waterway that traveled to the ocean between my hotel and an abandoned development next door, there were many other species.

The water was shallow, didn't look particularly clean and there were only a few trees for shelter on one stretch of the bank. I am always surprised at how much wildlife a little scrap of marginal habitat supports.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Yep, I only had to get up off my chaise lounge and walk about three metres to get this shot.Didn't take long to rule out paying $100 for a jungle tour, when I had an intriguing complement of wildlife on my doorstep to entertain me while my blistered feet rested between the off-site adventure days.Books and iguanas, iguanas and books, with the odd egret thrown in for variety.

I have to say, I found PV had more to offer on a walkabout than the other two resort areas I've been to, Cancun and Mazatlan.

What makes this gorgeous waterfront walk even more interesting is its collection of statues by Mexican artists that range in style from classical to surreal.

Thanks to that little touristy initiative, I learned about (and fell in love with) the work of Sergio Bustamante. This, in turn, led me to the art walk around old town where I discovered Jonas Gutierrez, Daniel Garcia and Fernando Aguila.

As I do in many places, I walked around for hours at a time, until I had blisters all over my feet. Then I'd spend the next day recovering by the pool or on the beach (plus taking exercise at the outdoor sports park, more about that soon) until I healed enough to wander again.

These ducks lived at the resort where I stayed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Staff at the resort took it upon themselves to see that they were fed and watered each day. Most of the time they sat on a brick wall on a small waterway next to the pool area but at a certain time each day they would come over to the pool and just wander around. It struck me as comical to watch the ducks walking along as though they'd booked themselves a winter getaway like the rest of us.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I clicked on a blog based on having listed the same book as a favourite and discovered a woman who I want to know.We already have things in common: both Aquarians, both loved Half of a Yellow Sun, both scientists. both women.Then there's there other but somewhat connected factors she's in Accra, Ghana, a country on my list of future plans, she has a photojournalist amongst the list of bloggers she follows.I feel like I'm meant to meet this person and I found her with a simple click.

About Me

I'm a writer and photographer. I feel most alive when I am out of doors. If I had lived in another time, I'd be a naturalist with pencil and notebook. Instead, I capture images digitally and post my observations on this blog.